Signal for railway-crossing gates



E. O.'NOESKE. SIGNAL FOR RAILWAY CROSSING GATES APPLICATION FILED DEC. 6. I918- Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

T h /IlIv DEM/new c a 274 J/mnaa UNITED STATES PATENT oF rce;

ELMERVO. NOESKE, or MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin.)

' Application To aZZ whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ELMER O. NOESKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Signals for Railway-Crossing Gates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in signaling devices for use in connection with the gates atrailway crossings and has particular application to a gate controlled signal.

In carrying out the present invention it is my purpose to provide arailroad crossing signal for use at the intersection of railroad trackways and highways and which will be automatically operated when the gates are lowered to closed position thereby notifying pedestrians and traffic approach ing the railroad track upon the highway of the position of the gates and the approach 3 of trafiic over the track.

' efiiciency and durability,

manufactured and marketed at small cost,

circuit.

. tie same.

It is also my purpose to provide a signal device of the class described which will embrace the desired features of simplicity, which may be and which, when once installed may be maintained at small expense.

-With the'above recited objects in view and others of a similar nature the invention resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth in and falling within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view showing my invention installed.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through the meeting ends of the gates.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view through Fig. 4: through the switch controlling the signal Referring now to the drawing in detail the numbers 1 and 2 designate the'usual vertically swinging gates'mounted at the opposite sides of the highway. and the intersection of the latter with the railroad crossing. As is well known, these gates 1 and 2 remain in an upright or vertical position when the highway is open to trafiic SIGNAL FOR nainwewonossrne earns.

Specification of Letters Patent.

- fingers 11 will be engaged battery 14,,and a bell 15 is an enlarged sectional view' stance this plate 3 is formed with upwardly when the highway is closed to traflio Patented Apr. 5, 1921. r filed December e, 1918. Serial No. 265,668.

projecting side flanges 4 that engage the respective sides of the gates at the outer end thereof. These flanges a are of a lengthequal to the similar dimension ofthe plate 3 and have their upperside edges curved outwardly as at 5 to form a mouth or entrance through the space defined by the bottom plate 3 and the side plates or Secured to the inner side of the projecting portion of the bottom plate 3 is a switch upon one of the contact fingers 11 and the other end that when the plunger extending above the wall 8 so 12 is depressed the with each other. The fingers 11 are connected with the terminals of an electric circuit 13 that includes a suitable'source of electrical energy as a which sounds when the circuit is closed at the contact fingers 11 incident to the downward movement of the plunger 12.

Secured to the underside of the other gate and projecting outwardly therefrom is a plate 16 adapted to enter the space defined by the plates 3 and 1 on the other gate and engage the plunger 12 to depress the latter to close the signal circuit. a

In practice, the gate carrying thefplates 3 and 4 is so timed relatively to the other gate that to reach'its lowered position before the other gate reaches a similar posi tion and'in' the downward movement of the gate carrying the plate 16 such plate enters the space defined by the plate 3 and the sounding the signal that I do not limit the precise details of construction herein flanges or plates 4 and ger 12 thereby closing the circuit and pedestrians upon the highway of the track that the railway gates are closed.

While I have herein shown and described one particula'rform of my invention by way of illustration I wish it to be understood or confine myself to shown and described and modificationand variation may be'made within the scope of the claims and without departing from the spirit oftheinvention.

The "current carrying wires of the electric circuit are preferably extended along the gate carrying the switch. It will be noted movement of the gates, thereby that the plate 3 and the flanges 4: in combination with the plate 16 acts, t'ter the fashion of a look at the meeting ends of the gates in order to prevent relative lateral effectively preventing traffic from enterine railway track when the gates aredown' or in closed position.

I claim 1 The combination with a pair of spaced 'members pivoted for movement toward and away from each other, of a member carried by and projecting beyond the end of one of said members, and designed to receive the adjacent end of the other member, a switch ncluding a switch operating BlGIl'lGDt CllS- posed in the path of movement of the se;i ond' mentioned member, whereby said switch is closed upon the final position of said members when moved toward each other. I i r 2. The combination with a pair of spaced members pivoted for movement toward and away from each other, of a substantially U- shaped member secured to and depresses the plun- 15 to warn trafiic and upon the openend of said member disposed in the path projecting beyond the end of one of said members, and

adapted-to receive the adjacent end of the other member when the members are moved toward each other, a switch operated element carried by the U-shaped member and disposed in the path of movement of the second mentioned member, whereby said switch is closed when said members assume final position upon adjustment toward each member in the path of movement of the second mentioned member whereby the switch is closed uponmovement of said members towardeaeh other. i

4. The combination-with a pair of spaced members pivoted for movement toward and away from each other, of a substantially-U- shaped member secured to and projecting a compartment arbeyond the end of one of said members, the 7 being flared to provide an entrance passage for the adja cent end of the other of said members, a switch including a switch operating element arranged within the U-shaped member and of movement of the second mentioned member whereby the switch is closed upon the movement of said members toward each other.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ELMER O. NOE SKE. 

